The relationship between pregnant women's attitudes toward preconception care and pregnancy adaptation: a...

This study aimed to examine the relationships between pregnant women's knowledge and attitudes regarding preconception care and their adaptation to pregnancy.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between 26 December 2023 and 31 July 2024, with 388 pregnant women aged 18-45 who attended the gynecology outpatient clinic of a hospital in the Central Aegean Region of Türkiye. Data were collected using the Introductory Information Form, the Preconception Knowledge and Attitude Scale (PKAS), and the Prenatal Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (PSEQ). Descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha coefficients, and Pearson correlation analysis were used, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Nearly half of the participants (48.5%) received preconception care/counseling, mainly on folic acid and vaccination. Significant negative correlations were found between the two scales and their subscales (p < 0.05). Since lower scores on the PSEQ scale indicate a higher level of adjustment to pregnancy, these findings indicate that higher preconception knowledge and attitudes are associated with better adaptation to pregnancy.

The findings indicate that higher levels of preconception knowledge and attitudes enhance adaptation to pregnancy and underscore the importance of preconception care for a healthy pregnancy and childbirth.